Convertible swing structure



Nov. 4, 1952 H. R. ROBBINS 2,616,485

CONVERTIBLE SWING STRUCTURE Filed Sept. 5, 1946 5 Sheets-Sheet lInventor Homer 5? Pobins WWW Em Nov. 4, 1952 H. R. ROBBINS 2,616,485

CONVERTIBLE SWING STRUCTURE Filed Sept. 5, 1946 r 5 Sheets-Sheet 2Inventor b ame?" A. #0561725 By mun Wave} 19% Nov. 4, 1952 H. R. ROBBINS2,616,485

CONVERTIBLE SWING STRUCTURE Filed Sept. 5, 1946 5 Sheets-Sheet 3Inventor Homer 1?. P0661725 Mid WW 3m Nov. 4, 1952 H. R. ROBBINS2,616,485

v CONVERTIBLE SWING STRUCTURE Filed Sept. 5, 1946 5 Sheets-Sheet 4Inventor Homer 1?- $066075 H. R. ROBBINS CONVERTIBLE SWING STRUCTURENov. 4, 1952 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Sept. 5, 1946 Home)" A. Aazns 03.,WWW M30038]:

I IHII' Patented Nov. 4, 1952 UNITED STATES FATNT OFFICE CONVERTIBLESWING STRUCTURE Application September 5, 1946, Serial No. 694,982

4 Claims.

This invention relates to amusement and exercising apparatus, such asare used by children at playgrounds and the like.

More particularly, the present invention consists of equipment composedof a number of separate units and parts, certain ones of which may beselected and assembled to form any desired one of a number of differentdevices commonly used by children for amusement and exercising purposesat playgrounds and the like.

The invention consists in certain novel details of construction andcombinations and arrangements of parts, hereinafter more fullydescribed, shown in the accompanying drawings and claimed.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a swing constructed of certainunits and parts of the present equipment;

Figure 2 is an end elevational view thereof;

Figure 3 is a side elevational view of a swinging teeter-totter assemblyconstructed of a number of units and parts of the present equipment;

Figure 4 is an end elevational view thereof;

Figure 5 is a side elevational view of a slide chute device constructedof selected units and parts of the present equipment;

Figure 6 is an elevational view looking toward the left of Figure 5;

Figure 7 is a side elevational view of a ladder climbing assemblyconstructed of certain units and parts of the present equipment;

Figure 8 is an end elevational view of the device shown in Figure 7;

Figure 9 is a side elevational view of a see-saw assembly constructed ofcertain units and parts of the present equipment;

Figure 10 is an end elevational view of the device shown in Figure 9;

Figure 11 is a plan view, partly broken away, of a base or chute unitincluded in the present equipment;

Figure 12 is a transverse section taken on line l9i9 of Figure 11;

Figure 13 is a top plan view of a teeter unit forming part of thepresent equipment.

Figure 14 is a side elevational view of the unit shown in Figure 21;

Figure 15 is a top plan view of a double seat forming part of thepresent equipment, and

Figure 16 is a side elevational view thereof.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the several units and parts whichcomprise the present equipment, consist of perforated strips or bars Aand B of dififerent lengths; a ladder unit C, a brace bar D; a base orchute unit E; a teeter unit F, a seat unit G; and dowels H and I ofdifferent lengths. The equipment includes two of the bars A, four of thebars B, two of the ladder units C, four of the braces D, two each of thedowels H and I, and one each of the remaining parts or units.

Each strip or bar A has a series of three transverse apertures oropenings 5 through the central portion thereof, and a series of threespaced transverse openings 6 through each end portion thereof, tofacilitate connection of the bar to other structural elements.

Each strip or bar B has two transverse openings intermediate its ends,one transverse opening 8 near one end, and two transverse openings 9through the other end portion thereof.

Each ladder unit C comprises a pair of spaced parallel stiles l0 rigidlyconnected by rungs H, each stile [0 having a transverse opening near oneend thereof as at l2 and two transverse openings near the other endthereof as indicated at [3.

Each brace D comprises a strip or bar beveled at the ends as at M andprovided near one end with a transverse opening [5 and near the otherend with an oblique open ended slot [8.

The base or chute unit E, which is common to the several devicesconstructed by use of the present equipment, comprises a pair of spacedparallel sled runners ll, each having a transverse aperture [8 near oneend and a pair of spaced transverse apertures 19 near the other end tofacilitate connection of the unit E to other elements of the equipmentand to facilitate connection of a rope to one end of the unit forpulling the same when used as a sled. The unit E further includes anelongated board or plate 2E] which spans and is rigidly secured to therunners IT. The board or plate 20 has a sheet metal facing 2| on thesurface thereof from which the runners l'l project. The opposite ends I?of the runners project beyond the opposite ends of the board 20, and thefree longitudinal edges of runners Ii may be equipped with runner shoes22.

The teeter unit F comprises an elongated bar 23 provided in theunderside of its intermediate portion with a series of transversegrooves 2 3 which mate with a similar series of transverse grooves 25provided in the upper surface of a short bar 26 bolted at 2'! to theteeter bar 23. The mating grooves 24 and 25 are adapted to selectivelyreceive a pivot pin for tiltably mounting the teeter unit upon a supportas will be later described. At each end, the teeterbar 23 ispro- 3 videdwith a suitable seat plate 28 which is bolted or otherwise suitablysecured thereon as at 29. Fixed to and rising from the teeter bar 23 atthe inner end of each seat plate 28 is a post 3t provided at its upperend with a cross bar or handle bar 3|.

The unit G is a double seat unit adapted to accommodate two childrenfacing each other, and it consists in spaced parallel side boards 32rigidly connected near their opposite ends by seats 33, each composed ofboards respectively forming the scat bottom and back rest of the seat.Midway between the seats 33', the boards 32 are connected by transversefoot rest bar 34 having its ends secured to the lower edges of theboards 32. The. ends of the boards 32 project outwardly beyond the seats33, where they are provided with spaced transverse openings 35 disposedone above the other.

Each dowel H has a transverse opening 36 at each end, and each dowel Ihas a. similar transverse opening 37 near each end.

In constructing the swing of Figures 1 and 2 the lower end of a strip.or bar 13 is bolted as at 38 to each end of each runner ll of the baseunit E so as to provide a pair of spaced uprights at each end of theunit E. Each pair of uprights is connected at their upper ends by a.strip or bar A, the adjacent ends of the bars A andB. being boltedtogether as at 39. Braces D are, then provided between each bar B andthe bar A at each side-i the structure, bolts 40. being passed throughthe apertures I of the braces D and the end ones of the intermediateseries of apertures 5 of the bars A. The slotted ends of braces D. areenga ed over bolts 4| passed through onev of the intermediate aperturesI of the each bar B. A ladder unit C is pivotally. suspended from eachof the opposite ends of the bars A by means of dowels I, and the lowerends of the ladder units C are pivoted to opposite ends of the seat unitG by means. of dowels H.

In constructing the swinging teeter-totter as sembly of Figures 3 and 4,the same supporting structure is used as described in connection withFigures 1 and 2, such supporting structure bein that which remains uponremoval of the. ladder units C and the seat unit G of Figure 1. A singleladder unit C is then pivotally suspended from the bars A intermediatethe ends of: the latter by a dowel I, and the teeter unitF is. pivotedupon a dowel H passed through the lower end of this lad-. der unit. Thedowel H passes through the desired pair of mating grooves 24-; and 25.of the teeter unit to balance or unbalance the latter as desiredaccording to therespective weightsof the occupants of the teeter unit.

In constructing the slide chute device of'Fi-gures 5 and 6, the base orchute unit Eis supported at an inclination by means of a pair of the.bars- B, with the runners l1 projecting upwardly with res spect to theboard 20. Thi disposes the sheet metal facing 2| uppermost to form aslipperyslide surface. As shown, the upper ends of the bars' B: arebolted at 42 to the higherend of them'iit E, and the upper end of a.ladder unit C isconnected to the bars B by means of a dowel I. The:lower ends of the bars B and ladder unit C are respec.-. tivelyconnected to corresponding ends of a pair of bars A by bolting at 43 anduse of a dowel I respectively. The other ends of the bars A areconnected to the lower endportion of-the unit E by means of a pair ofthe bars B- respectively bolted at 44 to the adjacent ends of the bars A4 unit E. This disposes the bars B and ladder unit C at a downward andrearward inclination which is maintained by connection of these bars andthe unit C with the lower end of the chute unit E by means of the bars Aand B.

In constructing the ladder climbing assembly of Figures '7 and 8, thesame structure is used as shown in Figures 1 and 2, except that the seatunit G is eliminated, and the lower ends of the ladder units C areconnected together by the use of a single dowel H, as shown. Thisdisposes the ladder units C at a greater inclination for use in climbingexercises.

In constructing the see-saw assembly of Figures 9 and 10, the lower endsof two pairs of the bars B are bolted at 45 to opposite ends of the unitE, and the upper ends of the two pairs of bars B are connected by atransverse dowel I upon which the teeter unit F is pivoted by passingthe dowel I through the desired one of the mating pairs of grooves 24and 25 of the unit F. By eliminating the unit F, the supportingstructure remaining, of the device shown in Figures 9 and 10, may beusedv in constructing a sled. This is done by merely suspending the seatunit G from the bars B of the said remaining supporting structure by useof dowels I passing through end apertures of the unit G and intermediateapertures of the bars B as indicated by dotted lines in Figures 9 and10. When this is done, the outer ones of the apertures [9 of the runnersI1, and on the forward ends thereof, may be used for attachment of theends of a rope to the runners H for use in pulling the sled thusconstructed.

As will be understood, the equipment consists of a number of separateunits and parts, certain ones of which may be selected and assembled toform any desired one of the, number of diiierent devices used foramusement and exercising purposes. While the equipment may be employedto construct other devices, those shown by way of example will besuficient to disclose the principle. involved.

What I claim is:

1. An amusement cr exercising device, comprising a base unit in the formof a slide chute adapted to serve as a ground engaging support for saiddevice, said base unit including a pair of spaced parallel runners, eachhaving a transverse aperture near each end, and an elongated boardspanning and rigidly secured to said, runners, the opposite ends of therunners projecting beyond the opposite ends of the board, pairs ofupright perforated bars secured, at their lower ends to opposite ends ofthe runners, a. further pair of longer perforated bars rigidlyconnecting the,

upper ends of the first named bars, angle braces connecting theintermediate portions or" the first named bars with the intermediateportions of the second named bars, ladder units pivotally suspended fromthe second named bars near the opposite ends thereof, and a seat unit,said ladder said base comprising a pair of spaced parallel.

elongated runners, each having a transverse aperture near each end, anelongated board spanning and rigidly secured. along itsv side edges uponlongitudinal edges of said runners, means for 45 t th lowe ends ortherunners ofthe facilitating connection of a rope to the ends of therunners at one end of the base for pulling the same, a sheet metalfacing on the surface of said board from which the runners project. theopposite end portions of the runners projecting beyond the opposite endsof the board and having the ends thereof rearwardly inclined, and runnershoes secured to the outer longitudinal edges and the ends of therunners. I i

3. In an amusement and exercising apparatus having portions convertibleto form differently useable units, a base in the form of a slide chuteadapted to serve as a ground engaging support for certain of said units,said base including a pair of spaced parallel runners, each having atransverse aperture near each end to facilitate connection of otherstructural elements thereto, an elongated board spanning and rigidlysecured to said runners, the opposite ends of the runners projectingbeyond the opposite ends of the board, a plurality of other perforatedmechanical elements adapted for detachable connection to said runners toform a superstructure on said base, and means engaging the perforationsof said base and said other elements for detachably fastening ends ofsaid elementslto the ends of said runners.

4. In an amusement and exercising apparatus having portions convertibleto form differently useable units, a supporting base for certain of saidunits in the form of a slide chute adapted to form a part of a slidechute unit, said base including a pair of spaced parallel runners, eachhaving a transverse aperture near each end, and

an elongated board spanning and rigidly secured to said runners, theopposite ends of the runners projecting beyond the opposite ends of theboard, pairs of perforated bars detachably secured at corresponding endsto the opposite ends of the runners by means engaging the apertures ofthe runners and perforations of the bars, a pair of elongated perforatedbars detachably connected at their ends to the upper ends of the firstnamed bars by means engaging perforations of the bars, angle bracesdetachably connected at their ends to the intermediate portions of thelast named bars and the intermediate portions of the first named bars bymeans engaging perforations of said bars.

HOMER R. ROBBINS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Perry Mar. 12, 1946

